air so cold      breath rattles down my throat  like a penny tumbling in 

the cracked engine of a 2008 ford ranger     going 75 on 45    with a broken a/c &

 full of candles    during an ice age exhaling    2 centuries worth  of disappointment.  

a loose spark plug coughs tufts   of chromed grass.     i figure    that to be this cold   

   i must have earned it,     like stepped on the crack  that grew  into the unbalancing 

earthquake    or burnt the last drop of coal needed  to smother    the earth’s 

atmosphere      with a black velvet blanket. the sun might as well    be the innocence 

of my childhood. what cannot be fled  becomes appendage. i inhale, &  snowmen 

plot in the alley behind my eyes. i piss, & ice shuffles    in a whiskey glass.  

when i drink water,  i’m a fistful   of salt spreading   on saturn, feet buckets of blood

beneath      a butcher’s table.   a shirt,  black sweater, & flannel coat coax my organs       

from resignation. i’m a seed sown in layers of wool, polyester, nylon, every memory 

of soup burning tongue. i’ll drown in these blankets, te lo juro, full of heat 

with nothing left to burn.      i inhale ropes of rebar   tumbling down  a pink well.      

i exhale a cloud  of satin stalactites  that disperse   & outline my obsidian reflection.

The post APOCALYPSES: SCENARIO #267-590 appeared first on www.texasobserver.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The content is a poetic and metaphorical reflection on environmental degradation and personal despair, which aligns with themes often emphasized in center-left discourse, such as climate change and social responsibility. While it does not explicitly advocate for any political agenda, the tone and subject matter suggest a critical view of environmental neglect, a concern commonly associated with center-left perspectives. The focus on ecological harm and personal impact situates the piece within a framework that leans towards progressive environmental awareness without overt political partisanship.

SUMMARY: Amazon warns of a 33% rise in fake customer service scams since December 2024, with fraudsters impersonating companies to steal personal information. Sylvia Phillips nearly fell victim after a suspicious buyer on Facebook Marketplace urged her to download a verification code. Searching for company numbers on Google often leads to fake numbers, says the AARP Fraud Watch Network. Experts advise always using the company’s official website to find customer service contacts. If a representative pressures for personal info, gift cards, or payments via Zelle or Venmo, hang up immediately. Protect your accounts by changing passwords and setting fraud alerts.

If you run a web search for a customer service number, beware. It could be someone waiting to take you for a ride.

Source

SUMMARY: Defender Chris Richards scored the only goal in the 62nd minute, securing the U.S. a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on June 19, 2025, in Austin, Texas. The win, combined with a Trinidad and Tobago-Haiti draw, guaranteed the Americans a quarterfinal spot, improving their group stage record to 42-1-5. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino maintained an unchanged lineup from the prior 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. Despite limited attacking chances, key defensive plays and goalkeeper Matt Freese’s strong performance helped secure the result. Several top U.S. players were absent due to injuries and other reasons.

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